We decided that this year we wouldn't deal with Seattle Pride. Too much traffic, too many people and then that rare occasion when we run into people that we may not particularly ever want to see again anyway. So, Olympia Pride was our thing this year. My work didn't have a booth this year so we just got to enjoy it. A woman named Janice Langbehn spoke about her partner. Janice and her children had so much courage. Her partner died of a massive aneurysm exactly 4-months prior to her speaking at Pride. I can't imagine the hurt and pain she must be feeling. Her story hammers home that domestic partnerships, civil unions, marriages - whatever you want to call it - are way more than filing taxes jointly or marking that 'married' box on legal documents. Please check out her story or online at the Olympian.com
My thoughts and prayers are with the Langbehn-Pond family. This story serves to remind me that I need to get my life insurance and wills in place. When a very healthy, vibrant mother dies on her way to enjoy a vacation with her family, it shows that it can happen to anyone.
